Executive Summary

State Party PALESTINE

State, Province or Region WESTBANK – Hebron/Al-Khalil

Name of Property Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town

Geographical coordinates to the nearest second Textual description of the boundary(ies) of the nominated prop-
erty
The property is located between the following coordinate points
Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town is located in the heart of Hebron/Al-
Khalil city in the southern part of the Palestine. The town expanded
1 according to sociocultural, political and economic factors, around
22°30'26.88606"N 35°06'20.02581"E the focal point that is Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/The Tomb of Patriarchs.
X = 159291.4889 Y = 104549.2482
The Old Town spreads from east to west as a continuous urban fabric
2 starting at the bottom of Hebron/Al-Khalil valley and ending on its
22°30'26.93627"N 35°07'45.48203"E northern slope. The historic centre is divided into two areas: the area
X = 161733.9760 Y = 104549.2482 around Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/ The Tomb of Patriarchs and the area in
3 the south, separated from the latter by the wadi.
22°29'32.60843"N 35°06'20.06732"E The core zone cover the continuous urban fabric which back to the
X = 159291.4889 Y = 102879.7496 Mamluk and early Ottoman Periods, the boundaries of core zone can
be defined by the roads around the continuous fabric from the east,
4 west and south, and the end of the continuous fabric from the north.
22°29'32.65861"N 35°07'45.51432"E The core zone is almost entirely protected by surrounding buffer
X = 161733.9760 Y = 102879.7496 zone which cover the foothills around the core zone inside the mu-
nicipal boundaries of Hebron - Al-Khalil City, the proposed buffer
zone include the immediate vicinities of the core zone and have the
highest potential of influence on it.

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 2

Hebron Old Town

A4 (or
1 “letter”) size map of nominated property, showing boundaries and buffer zone Hebron Old Town 2
Digitized Cadastral Map
Proposed Property and Buffer Zone Boundaries

Hebron Municipality - 2014

Digitized cadastral map

Hebron Municipality - 2014

Hebron Old Town

Municipal Boundaries
Proposed Property and Buffer Zone Boundaries
Municipal Boundary
Digitized Cadastral Map

Proposed property boundary

Hebron Municipality - 2014
Nominated Property Boundary
Municipal Boundary

Buildings andProperty
Building Nominated Objects
Boundary

Area
Buildings and Objects
Area
Area

Buffer Zone
Buffer Zone
Buffer Zone

Coordinate
Coordinate PointPoint
Coordinate Point

0 50 100 150 200 250

0 50 100 150 200 250

3 4

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Criteria under which property is nominated been generally preserved, despite the destructions that affected cer-
tain districts of the town in 1965 when the Jordanian Ministry of
(ii), (iv) and (vi). Antiquities decided to expand the piazza in front of Al-Ibrahimi
Mosque/The Tomb of Patriarchs. Since 1967 the Israeli occupation
Statement of Outstanding Universal Value is imposing security restrictions which threaten the physical integrity
of the old town and isolate it from its immediate environment.
a. Brief Synthesis The mission of preserving this cultural heritage for future generations
The nominated property Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town is thought to will be managed by Hebron Cultural Heritage Preservation Council
be one of the oldest cities continuously inhabited in the world. Its nu- which is a joint council membered by Hebron/Al-Khalil Municipal-
merous ancient, but well-preserved, monuments and buildings bear ity, the Ministry of Tourism and antiquities as well as the Hebron
witness to a rich and prosperous past. Rehabilitation Committee.
With its 20.6 ha, the nominated property is presenting the continu- b. Justification for Criteria
ous fabric which date back to the Mamluk and Ottoman Periods, the
Cultural Criterion (ii)
property entirely protected by buffer zone (172.8 ha) cover the foot-
The old town represents an outstanding example of a community
hills around Hebron/Al-Khlail valley.
built around the interchange of human values. Despite the fact that
The old town expanded on the valley around Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/
both residents and visitors to the town came from a myriad of differ-
The Tomb of Patriarchs which is an outstanding example of building
ent faiths, ethnicities, and backgrounds, they drew inspiration from
illustrates significant stages in human history and one of the main
the same traditions and values, especially those of the Prophet Ibra-
elements shaped the future of Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town. Beliefs,
him/Abraham who is considered the paradigm of hospitality and gen-
traditions and ideas have been the foundation of town’s lifestyle
erosity, the prophet’s spirit of generosity is infused into the culture
characteristics for many centuries. the location of the town on the
of Hebron/Al-Khalil. An example is the Al-Takiya Al-Ibrahimiyah.
main commercial routes in the region was another important factor
Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/The Tomb of Patriarchs has been since its
influenced the town’s charactaristics. The town became a meeting
creation a source of great inspiration to surrounding communi-
place for groups coming from different faiths, ethnicities, and back-
ties and their, social, religious and spiritual values. The impor-
grounds. This intermixing has added a high degree of socio-econom-
tance of this sacred place can be seen in the structure of the town.
ic and cultural exchange throughout the centuries.
The main roads of the town connect every quarter in Hebron/Al-
The Outstanding Universal Value of Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town is Khalil to the Haram. The architecture of this remarkable ensemble
demonstrated in its existence as an outstanding, exceptionally com- shows a sedimentation of different cultural influences and styles.
plete and well preserved example of unique urban and architectural Hebron/Al-Khalil is a part of one of the holiest regions of the world
characteristics inspired by the human values of Hebron/Al-Khalil for the three monotheistic religions and an important station on the
community. The main attributes of “Outstanding Universal Value” commercial routes in the region, it was a destination for different
can be seen within the limits of the old town. These attributes have groups from different cultures, ethnics, religions and professionals.

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Needless to say, this intermixing has added a high degree of socio-
economic and cultural exchange throughout the centuries. This cul-
tural mosaic is one of Hebron/Al-Khalil’s main characteristics.
The town developed as a none-walled town to keep its doors open
for all visitors and to preserve its multi-cultural profile. Many of
the public buildings in Hebron/Al-Khalil were constructed to ac-
commodate the steady streams of travellers visiting the town,
The urban planning of Hebron/Al-Khalil’s Old town is a kind of map
of its inhabitants’ social relations, clearly showing the system of so-
cial relationships between inhabitants within each quarter and also
the relations between the inhabitants in different quarters within the
road system. The urban fabric in the old town is divided into in-
dependent quarters, or Hara, which are linked to the public spaces
by minor streets and semi-private alleys and dead-end streets. The
system of the Hara reflects the variety of ethnic, religious and eco-
nomic distinctions. The Old Town was divided into three types of
neighbourhoods, forming a diverse urban fabric, based on ethnic,
religious and professional grouping. This specific structure express-
ing the interchange of various cultures and ethnic groups within the
same space is reflected in the urban fabric of the old town, remark-
ably preserved until today.
Cultural Criterion (iv)
Hebron/Al Khalil Old Town bears witness to a flourishing town of
the Middle East, that experienced its “Golden age” between the 12th
and the 15th century. The existing urban structure dates back to the
Mamluk period, with a second-story system introduced during the
Ottoman period.
The urban and architectural characteristics of Hebron/Al-Khalil’s
Old Town were influenced by many elements, producing a unique
urban fabric and architectural, mainly the presence of Al-Ibahimi
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Mosque as one of the most important religious landmarks in the
world it is also is one of the main elements influenced Hebron/Al-
Khalil Old Town’s urban structure.
Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town is located on the Hebron/Al-Khalil
Valley which was one of the factors of Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town
growth, due to the availability of water and cultivable land. The val-
ley created for inhabitants new opportunities of work and life which
played a crucial role in development and growth . The existence of
water sources was also important for building an elaborate water
system with aqueducts, big cisterns (birkehs) and fountains in the
Old town. As a non-walled town at the edge of the desert, Hebron/
Al-Khalil had an elaborate defence system. The continuity of the
buildings on the outer edges of the town made it difficult to access
the town. A system of hidden nooks and alleyways played also a pro-
tective role against foreign intrusion. This system can still be clearly
seen from within the old town by examining the road system and the
urban structure which are perfectly preserved until today.
The residential parts of the Old Town were built in a hosh system,
which represents a unique typology different from the common resi-
dential typologies found in other Arab and Islamic cities.
In contrast to the common residential typologies found in other Arab
cities (Damascus, Aleppo, Marrakesh, Fez, etc…) organized around
inner courts that constitute both the main central distribution space
and the centre of family life, the Hebronite hosh is an agglomerate of
rooms units or group of rooms (two or three units clustered around a
small distribution space) organized according to a tree-shaped sys-
tem that reproduces the structural pattern of the urban network.
Hence, Hebron/al Khalil Old town is a unique example of an urban
structure that has remarkably preserved the historical urban fabric as
well as the morphology and residential typologies dating back to the
Mamluk period, thus contributing to the visual and structural integ-
rity of the cityscape.
Cultural Criterion (vi)
Thousands of years ago, Hebron/Al-Khalil was a town prophets vis-
ited, lived in, and were buried in. Beliefs, traditions and ideas have
been the foundation of the lifestyle in this town for many centuries.
These enduring values have been carried from one generation to the
next. Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/The Tomb of Patriarchs has come to sym-
bolize these very important values, thus perpetuating the importance
of Hebron/Al-Khalil for mankind.
c. Statement of Integrity
The boundaries of the proposed site correspond to the boundaries of
the continuous fabric of Hebron/Al-Khalil Town during the Mamluk
Period. It appears that the settlement moved from Tell Rumeida to
the valley near Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/ The Tomb of Patriarchs which
became the focal point in the town and strongly influenced its devel-
opment after the Roman and Byzantine periods.
Whilst Hebron- Al-Khalil Old Town has never been protected by
town walls, its limits are well marked thanks to the topography and
the “rampart houses”built on the town’s external perimeter, some
of which have survived until today. Although some districts corre-
sponding to the extension of the town as from the 19th century are
connected to the old centre in terms of hostoric importance and give
it its setting and its context, the main attributes of “Outstanding Uni-
versal Value” can be seen within the limits of the old town. these are
notably the monumental site of Al-Ibrahimi Mosque/The Tomb of
Patriarchs. These attributes have been generally preserved, despite
the distructions that affected certain districts of the town in the six-
ties and particularly since the Israeli Occupation.
d. Statement of Authenticity
According to WHC’s historical cities and Town centers classifica-
tion, Hebron/Al-Khalil Old Town is a sample of inhabited historic cit-
ies which developed and continued to develop under the influence of
socio-economic and cultural change in the Town while keeping its
authenticity.
Since the Mamluk era, the morphological configration of the old town
and the spatial organisation of the urban fabric have remained mostly-
unchanged, and the main distinctive attributes have been retained. The
authonticity of the urban structure and of the monuments has remained
intact. conservation efforts made in the old town since the mid 1990s
have to a great extent, preserved the outstanding universal value at-
tributes. The use of traditional materials and techniques in these res-
toration operations has helped the reactivation of craftsman building
trades. Nevertheless, the context is particularly vulnerable due to the
political and military situation and the security restrictions imposed by
the Israeli Army which threaten the physical integrity of Al-Ibrahimi
Mosque /The Tomb of Patriarchs and that of the old town, and isolate it
from its immediate environment.
e. Requirements for Protection and Management
The legal protection of the old town is based on the related applied
laws in Palestine in the fields of urban planning, tourism and antiqui-
ties. at the local level the Hebron/Al-Khlail Municipality developed
many plans aims to regulate the building licences within the city
and supports the development of cultural and tourism as important
components that contribute to enhancing the experience of the visi-
tors coming to the city, and aims to promote the rich diversity of
religious, cultural, and historical resources in the governorate. at the
same time the related organizations are working on developmental
programs, preservation plans, manuals and guidelines to control the
preservation interventions according to the international standards.
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Name and Contact information
Hebron Municipality
King Abdallah Street
Hebron – West Bank
Palestine
P.O.Box 6
Tel : 0097-22228121-2-3
Fax : 0097-22228293
e-mail : info@hebron-city.ps
Hebron Municipality’s website
www.hebron-city.ps
International Campaign’s website
www.hebronheritage.com

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